The Whole Music Experience

Peter Ali On the Solstice, I felt exhausted, but I wanted to check out the Fairhaven District Art Walk.  So I dragged myself by bus to the event.  When I stepped into Village Books, I heard Peter Ali talking about his introduction to Native American and other traditional flutes. While I was only planning on staying for one or two songs (since I wanted to see as much art as possible), I ended up staying much longer.  I found Peter engaging as he shared stories about his life experiences in relationship to his flute.  One of those stories involved performing for the 14th Dalai Lama and another story revolved around surviving cancer and its brutal chemo treatment. However on that particular evening, I felt drawn to the soothing qualities of Indigenous flutes and Peter's healing stories that went along with his improvised songs. Coming from mixed heritage, Peter could call himself a true world citizen and one with a healing heart.  So let's celebrate another...

Native American / World   Tony Duncan Native Son   Canyon Records I had one of those days where I feel wound up and it doesn’t help that I have been consuming raw chocolate.   So listening to Apache/Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara flutist Tony Duncan’s third album with Canyon Records and I believe his second solo album, Native Son , comes as a relaxing godsend.   When you listen to numerous Native American flute recordings you begin to identify subtle and not so subtle differences and signatures of the many gifted flutists.   Some Native American flutists possess playfulness while others lean heavily into the ethereal realm and others provoke healing tears to flow.   Duncan combines all of those qualities in his playing, which if it was a wine, we would also call it full bodied and robust--not bad for a young musician. I survived a stressful summer in 2011 in part listening to Estan-Bah (acoustic guitar, Native American flute, Native American...

World / Native American   R. Carlos Nakai Will Clipman Awakening the Fire Canyon Records What happens when R. Carlos Nakai’s flowing flute weds Will Clipman’s tribal beats? In the liner notes for Awakening the Fire , this duo explores the contrasting realms of the Native American flute, a melodic instrument and structured percussion.  One instrument lives outside of time and space, while the other instruments mark time.  Here we have free flowing building a bridge with rhythmic structure and the musicians accomplish a virtually impossible fete where each instrument gives space to the other.  This could only happen with two musicians who have known and worked with each other for a long time.  This takes cooperation, compromise, and excellent listening skills, which Nakai and Clipman possess in abundance. When combined, the exotic percussion (Clipman has a special room full of global percussion and the intuition to always choose the right...

Randall Paskemin Emotions Cree Round Dance Songs Canyon Records Tony Duncan Earth Warrior (Native American Flute) Canyon Records I first encountered Cree singer Randall Paskemin when he released a children’s album, Goodnight, Sweet Dreams, I Love You (Canyon Records).   His newest CD, Emotions features love songs for adults, sung in the same passionate and witty voice as the previous album.   You listen to this set of round dance songs, with the gentle thump of the frame drum accompanied by soaring vocals and you might just want to hang out with Randall. Certainly, he seems articulate and reflective with his songs telling slice-of-life stories. The love song Tattoo tells us about a man who doesn’t need to get a tattoo to prove his love to his partner.   She’s My Girl revolves around a dual by two men who love the same woman.   Marlon Deschamps plays the role of the other man.   All I Have to Do is Close My Eyes ...

Coyote Jump Waking from the Roots Canyon Records Classical guitarist-composer Colin Farish teams up with Native American flautist John-Carlos Perea under the moniker Coyote Jump.  Similar to R. Carlos Nakai, Perea brings his flute into the realm of chamber music with relaxing results.  The dynamics (pow-wow drums and soaring flute) that you would hear on a Nakai-De Mars (composer James DeMars) does not appear with Coyote Jump’s Waking from the Roots.   This duet leans towards the meditative new age sound, while tossing in ecological themes.  I prefer to listen to this CD before bedtime because of its relaxing qualities.  While the songs do not resemble impressionist classical music, the musicians composed the songs with an image from nature, from sudden and tumultuous weather ( Lightening Drum ) to a sacred waterfall in Indian Canyon ( Ohlone Waters ) and so on.  This is not new in America since many composers Grofe, Copeland, Gershwin, and...

Aaron White & Anthony Wakeman Handprints of Our People Canyon Records Neither Dinè-Ute guitarist-flutist Aaron White or Lakota flutist Anthony Wakeman are new to my ears. I’ve heard at least two incarnations of White’s duos and heard Wakeman’s solo and collaborative recordings. So listening to White’s and Wakeman’s Handprint of Our People comes as a lovely respite. White’s bluesy guitar (listen to the stunner Dunes of Time ) coupled with Wakeman’s ethereal flute connects the earth and the sky. Needless to say I find the duo’s warm acoustic album deeply relaxing. Certainly the music here would benefit massage and energy healing clients who prefer new age and indigenous music with an edge. Wakeman’s flute provides more washes than melodic hooks which contributes to the relaxing vibe. And the deep tones of White’s guitar relieve tension. On End of My Trail , White plays lilting arpeggios which Wakeman’s dragonfly-like flute dances around. On Return of the Twins Wak...

Estun-Bah (Tony Duncan, Darrin Yazzie and Jeremy Dancing Bull) From Where the Sun Rises Canyon Records It has been years since I’ve heard a contemporary acoustic Native American recording such as Estun-Bah’s From Where the Sun Rises . Inspired by the work of R. Carlos Nakai and most likely Burning Sky, here we have warm acoustic guitar playing alongside a frame drum and lilting Native American flute. The sweet rolling melodies captivate my imagination and I find these tracks deeply relaxing. No doubt From Where the Sun Rises appeals to new age and Native American music listeners, but it could also appeal to those seeking warm and uplifting music that plays in the background as they go about their work (including me). I don’t know the age of the musicians, but they look like they just graduated from high school. Though they’re musical talent reveals maturity, especially with the polished arrangements and performances. The three musicians hail from Northern Plains, Dakot...

R. Carlos Nakai Talisman Canyon Records Twenty-five years ago, a friend gave R. Carlos Nakai a Native American flute to see what the former jazz trumpeter could do with it. Over the years, Nakai along with Kevin Locke, Mary Youngblood and other stalwarts had brought Native American flute to mass consciousness. But similar to an artist such as Mary Youngblood, Nakai took the indigenous flute into new realms, (European classical, jazz, and ethnic world sounds). The 62 year old flautist even journey into the realm of electronica on a couple of his albums. Nakai's 25th anniversary release (with Canyon Records), Talisman travels full circle and we find Nakai once again performing on solo Native American flute on every other track. You will also find flute duos and the thoughtful Sunrise Prayer in Beauty . Talisman harks back to Nakai's first recording with Canyon Records, Changes . And true to its name, listening to Changes certainly brought much needed transformation to...